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Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:32 am

hello, I am in england and trying to sell my 1972 beetle on ebay, someone claiming to be in Florida has bought it for 650 pounds (about 1200 dollars) and is wanting to pay 1700 pounds (about 3100 dollars) to get it shipped to florida. Am I right in thinking this sounds a bit weird? I don't really know about the vw scene in florida, but I'm sure that you can get a late model beetle for less than 4500 dollars?

can I get an opinion on this please, I think theyre up to something.

does anyone reconise a company called friendz_cars or the email address [email protected]

????

thats who bought it.
I reckon its a scam.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:36 am

Sounds weird.

Is the car RHD?

Insist on a UP Postal Money Order as payment. You don't "F" with the US Post Office and that should be good enough.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:38 am

I've just had a look a florida adverts and i reckon my cars worth about 2500 dollars there. hmm. very suspicious.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:39 am

yes its rhd.
i've said i want paypal, but i will also tell them about a up postal order. thanks. any other opinions?

Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:42 am

PayPal can take the money back, so insist on US Postal Money Order. It's a Federal Crime to mess with the Post Office.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 7:34 am

Hey:

I listed my 79 SB Vert with 400 miles on it on SAMBA. I received a note from a "similar" buyer as you have. The buyer was to send me a cashier’s check for the car ($ 25,000, and they did! ) The only problem is that the check was written on a Midwest rural bank (that actually existed, routing #'s, everything looked legit). I called the bank and they confirmed that the check was bogus. They buyer contacted me a few days after I received the check and I informed them that the check was bogus. Never received anything further from the "ghost" buyer.

Sold my SB to a fellow in Michigan ($24,000), he drove out here (Kansas) with an enclosed trailer and paid me in $ 100.00 bills! That worked for me.

Play it out all he way. It might be legit, most likely, it's a SCAM. If you receive funds, make sure they clear before doing anything!

LOL

Kris (Kansas)

Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:22 am

agree on the postal money order...he will need an international money order bought at the US post office.... if it is legit and he sends you a US postal money order you will not be able to cash it. The only way to go is postal money order (in the form of international money order).

Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:32 am

malachai wrote: ...someone claiming to be in Florida has bought it for 650 pounds (about 1200 dollars) and is wanting to pay 1700 pounds (about 3100 dollars) to get it shipped to florida...

Usually scammers want to pay an unusually excessive amount over and have the balance forwarded to a third party that will supposedly handle the shipping. These amounts you have stated don't seem to be consistant with the usual scam. The buyer could be legitimate and may want it because it is a RHD Beetle. As mentioned by others, insist on a US Postal Money Order for payment. Also if possible arrange for telephone communications with the potential buyer - that way the number can be traced. If the buyer is for real they'll be willing to speak with you on the phone.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:55 am

Consider a wire transfer between banks, probably more secure and easier to manage than a US Postal Money Order in the UK. Bottom line, get your funds, make sure it's a done deal, and let him manage the shipping logistics. Offer to be available to the shipper to pick up the car but don't do anything else. You shouldn't have any financial responsibility in the shipping.

-jeffrey

Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:58 pm

Like the guys say, it may be legit because of the relative rarity. I just sold a set of wheels to a guy over there in the UK, and he picked up the shipping - it cost almost as much as the wheels! But - he went the Paypal route which I eventually gave in to. Apparently, unless a US bank has a branch in the UK, you cannot do a funds transfer (I checked with my bank, and it's true). So, the international money order may be the way to go. I am definately resisting any more PayPal transfers; after that one international transfer, someone overseas had hacked into my account and onto my credit card thru PayPal - never again!

$.02 - Rick

Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:17 pm

Letterman7 wrote: Apparently, unless a US bank has a branch in the UK, you cannot do a funds transfer (I checked with my bank, and it's true).

This is false. All that needs to exist is an agreement between your bank and the bank in England. Each individual bank has to form an agreement with the target bank, otherwise they either can't do the transfer, or they have to go through a third bank. If you deal with a tiny local bank, its unlikely they have such an agreement, but if you deal with a major bank, they probably do.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:06 pm

I have transferred money twice to a bank in germany and it all seemed fine apart from the stupid charges that banks love to dole out. but now I checked my ebay again and the buyers feedback has gone from 0 to -2 so I told them to go fuck themselves. they did seem to want to go through a third party to pay as well, so its almost certainly a big fat scam.

How rare are RHD beetles in the us? If I was going to pay all that money to import a beetle, I wouldn't get a 1972 with pre 67 wings, I'd get an immaculate stock looker.

anyway its back on ebay now, thanks.

Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:12 pm

my 1998 Mazda 626 LX listed on cars.com

someone from the UK contacted me saying they wanted to give me $4900 for it, and they could only send me a $10,000 because of company policy, and they were buying this car for a "client" who was refunded the $10,000 on a different deal and they could only send me one check...
they said i had to take my $4900 and give the rest to the guy who was going to pick up the car to have it detailed and shipped to the UK.
:roll:
it sounded like a scam to me, and i emailed him, saying so. I never did hear back from him.
It seemed fishy... he never told me who he was or who his "client" was, and European Spec. 626s are MUCH cooler than a US spec. one, so i was completely baffled as to why someone would pay to have one shipped over there.

Bottom line: if it seems like it's going to become a big hassle, don't bother with it. Homer Simpson once said, "Trying is the first step towards failure."
:)

Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:54 am

hey, i just read this:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=253